What does Emery need to sort out at Arsenal?
After Arsenal announced the appointment of Unai Emery, we take a look at what the new boss needs to fix at the club.
A significant section of Arsenal's fanbase have long been hungry for change and a fresh chapter in north London.
Arsene Wenger's poignant farewell after 22 years in charge at the end of this season was accompanied by a sixth-place finish and the failure to achieve Champions League qualification for the second year in succession.
Now, Unai Emery takes over. The Spaniard swept the board domestically at Paris Saint-Germain but his failure to mount a significant Champions League challenge left questions over his elite credentials.
Such concerns might quickly seem trivial when he takes charge of a new era at Arsenal, where he will find plenty of talent but, similarly, numerous problems to address.
- Cure travel sickness -
Nothing underlined Arsenal's brittle nature better than their terrible away form last season. A 1-0 loss to Stoke City, who went on to be relegated, and a 4-0 thrashing at Liverpool got things underway. The 4-2 defeat in the FA Cup to Championship side Nottingham Forest preceded a dismal run of seven consecutive Premier League losses on the road – a slump that extended until a 1-0 win at Huddersfield Town on the last day of the campaign. For a side aspiring to return to the Champions League, it represents an unacceptable return.
- Get the best out of Mesut Ozil -
Emery is fresh from two years at PSG, where coaxing the best out of exceptional talents and managing egos proved tricky at times. Ozil is a playmaker of unquestionably sublime gifts and his best performances generally coincide with Arsenal playing superbly. But he has, at times, become a sullen figure over recent seasons. Whenever things go wrong for the Gunners, plenty of fans and pundits are ready to declare it is the Germany star's fault. If Emery can harness Ozil's creative brilliance and leave the blame game behind, he will be well on the way to success at Arsenal.
They were signings that represented ambition Arsenal have often been accused of lacking, if not entirely coherent thinking. Lacazette finished a mixed season strongly but missed out on a World Cup place with France, while January recruit Aubameyang fired 10 in 12 league starts. Will the ex-Borussia Dortmund man lead Emery's frontline alone, or can the new boss harness two prized assets in tandem?